Liquid fuel burner



March 14, 1933. w, E, TAF 1,901,271

I LIQUID FUEL BURNER 4 Filed May 51, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I bus'tionwill. .the combustion c am opne supply provision of a Patented Mar. 14,1933 gi'l'ATES,

PTENT orrics i i CHUSETTS,

A CORPORATION OF GHUSEITS LIQUID FUEL BURNER Application filed Kay 81,

This inventionrelates to oil burners of the type wherein liquid fuel isvaporized in an open top channel or trough and burns in the spacebetween perforated combustion tubes or chimneys that surround thechannel opening and extend upwardly thereabove In large burners of thepresent type, it is desirable to admit liquid fuel, as oil, into the mvaporizing channel at a plurality of s ocations to insure a uniformdistribution of vapor throu bout the channel so that come uall good atall parts of or between the'perforated tubes. Such an arrangement in thepast has necessitated the use of a plurality b of oilipes and separateconnections be-' tween t em and'the source of fuel sup ly, which therebincreases. the cost of insta lation of the urner and makes the burnertroublesome to clean if carbon should form around the openings of theseparate pipes.

It is an ob ect of the present invention to provide a burner wherein theoil from but ipe is introduced into the vaporizing cham r at a pluralityof spaced locations.

A further ob'ect of the invention is the burner having a vaporizingchannel provided with ofiset pockets into which the fuel the mainportion of the fuel is vaporized.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a burner rovidedwith a plurality of vaporizing poc ets and fuel entrances thereto thatare so arranged that they can be maintained clean and free from carbonin a convenient manner.

A yet further ob'ect of the invention is the provision of'a urner havinga vapor channel provided with oflset fuel vaporizing pockets and airpasse es located between the pockets, together wit a ca which forms acover for the channel and t e pockets and has openings therein which arein register with the air passages between the pockets.

I provide'the burner with an electric heating element which is carriedon the bottom wall of the vaporizin channel to'heat and vaporize thefuel in t e burner to facilitate starting.

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simultaneously, so that the vapor urn as soon as sufiicient amountsthereof are burner embodying is introduced and in which 1930. semi m.-asasse A yet further object of the inventibn is the prov1s1on of aplurality of heat-transfer ribs connecting the channels, in addition tothe gas-condults therebetween, so that the heat of one channel istransmitted readily to another channel, to assist in the ready vapor:

Itis a further object of the resent invention to provide the burner witv5 or igniting'means'which is associated wit the circult of the electricheating elements and which is so arranged that both are operated beginsto generated.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a burner having avapor channel provided with vaporizing pockets therein and air passagesbetween the ockets, and an electric ignition device that is located inone of the air pockets and serves to i the vapor rising from the opening0 the vaporchannel. i

A further object of the invention is generally to improve theconstruction and operation of liquid fuel burners.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the base of a the present invention with thecombustion tubes removed.

Fi 2 is a sectional elevation of the burner ta on along line 2-2 of Fig.1.

.Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the burner ta on along line 4-4 ofFig. 1.

ization of the oil and the starting of the burner.

ite

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail taken along line 55 rangement provides avery sim 60 said branches trically spaced therefrom angularly-spacedupstanding inner walls 26 located about a common center and a horizontalbottom wall 28 that provide between them a fuel vapor- 5 izing channel30'which is wide in radial extent and is open at the top. A pluralityof, and as here shown, four e ui-angularly spaced and inwardly directevaporizing pockets 32 communicate with said vaporizing channel and areformed by the relatively closely spaced upstandin radial walls 34 whichare connected at their outerends with the arcuate walls 26 and at theirinner ends with a vertical boss or hub 38, the pockets being closed atthe boss andfreely open into the channel. The cooperating walls 34 and26, and the boss 38, form segment-shaped vertical air passages 40 whichare'located between the pockets 32 and also between the boss and thechannel 30 and are open at the top and also at the bottom of the burnerbase. I

The channels 20 and "30 are spaced apart by an air passage 42 which isconcentric with said channels and is open at the top and the bottomv ofthe burner base. A plurality of, and as here shown, fourequi-angularlyspa-ced webs 44, extend across the air passa e and haveducts open nto both channels so that the vapor generated in thevaporizing channel can flow 'into the vapor channel 20 and fill ituniformly. Other ribs 47 extend. across the annular 'air passage andconnect the rings containing the channels and are solid. Said ribs 47,together with the ribs 44, serve to conduct heat from the vaporizingchannel to the vapor channel, especially when the walls of thevaporizing channel are heated electrically, as will be explainedhereinafter to facilitate vaporization of fuel. when starting the burnerin operation, liquid fuel at this time being in bothchannels. Thecentral boss 38 is provided witha vertical passage 48 which extendscompletely therethrough and so is open at the top. ed in the lower endof said passage and extends to a suitable source of liquid oil supply,not shown. Small oil passages or 50 branches 54 pass dia onallyoutwardly through the boss from %he passage therein into the inner endsof the vaporizing ockets 32 so that oil is introduced from said pipe 50into the end of each pocket. This arle and reliable meansfordistributing t e oil in a lurality of s aced locations mto the vaporizinchanne 30. When the burner is. in stea y operation, the oil thatpassesthrough 54 is vaporized mainl in the vaporizing pockets 32 so thatthe y of the channel 30 1s filled mainly with oil va r."

At this time there Wlll be no liquid 0" in the channels 20 and 30.Projections 55 up- 6 stand from the bottom wall 28 in the'vapor- 46therein which An oil pipe 50 is thread- .with the passages freelythrough the disc into' the interior of the combustion-tube 64; Theelectric heatizing wick 57 in position therein when the use channel andserve to retain an igniting I of such wick is considered desirable tofacilitate ignition. of the oil.

A cap 56 is seated upon the to of thewall 26 and extends radially overthe open top of the vaporizing channel 30 and terminates in confrontingand spaced relation with the outer wall 24 whereby to provide thechannel with an annular opening 58 of reduced radial extent. The cap isprovided with a plurality of segment shaped openings orapertures 60therethrough which correspond and are in register with the air passages40 so that the air passing upwardly through said passages can enter theburner above the top of the cap. Preferably the cap is provided withdepending prqections 62 which fit between the walls 34 of the vaporizing6 pockets adjacent the boss 38 for the purpose of holding the cap withthe openings 60 therein in register with the. passages 40 of the burnerbase. The cap is also seated on the walls 34 and the top of the boss 38and forms a closure for the oil passage 48 in the boss, the level of oilin the passage always standing below the cap. The cap sup ortsa'perforated cylindrical combustion tu e 64 which upstands thereabove atthe inner side of the annular passage 58. A similar outer combustiontube 66 is supported on the wall 24 and is spacedradially from the tube64 and provides an annular combustion chamber68 in which the fuel vaporsrising from the opening 58 of the vaporizing chamber are burned. Similartubes 70 and 72 surround and upstand channel 20 and provide a combustionchamber 74 therebctween. The top" of the tube 64 is closed by a cover 76which is secured to thecap 56 by a screw 78 so that the cover, the capand the tube 64 are united and can be removed as a .unit for inspectionor cleanin The annular opening between the tu s 66 and 70 is closed byan annular ring above the open top of the vapor 80. This arrangementcloses the to s of the between the tubes an so conair passages stramsthe air to flow through the perfo- M of a centrally apertured disccontaining an internal resistance element and is secured vaporization ofthe liquid fuel in the va- 7 I porizmg chamber 30 is initiated byan-electric heating element 82 which is in the form' against the bottomwall 28 of the vaporizing c amber by plates 84 which underlie the discand are secured removabl 86 of the burner base.

a circular passage 88 in which is disposed beneath and is in register 40so that air can flow he heater disc has to de endin lugs the middlethereoi ing element is adapted to be energized from a suitable'source ofelectric power as the v lighting or power mains of a house onl unend ofsaid plug is extended so t heating element an intermediate combustiontube 64 is base when the cover 76 and the til sufiicient vapor is givenoff to permit the starting of combustion. The heat of combustion is thensufiicient to continue the va-- porization.

In accordance with this is provided to ignite the vapor electricallycoincidentally with the electric vaporization thereof. Saidmeansincludes a high resistance electric conductor 88 which is arranged inspiral form in the end of an insulated support or plug 90 that-issecured removably by a strap 92 to the generator cap 56. The

roh which the at the spiral igniting conductor is freely exposed to thecombustible mixture in the combustion space 68. The plug is providedwith-a depend ing insulating extension 93 that is located in one of theapertures of the generator cap 56 and in one of the passages 4.0 that isin register with said aperture. The bottom end of the plug is providedwith terminals 94 that are in removable engagement with terminals 96 ofa contact base 98 which base is secured, see Fig. 5, to a depending leg100 of the burner base and is located under the plug. The connectionbetween the plug and the base is detachable so that the lug 90 isremoved from its connection with t e contact associated cap 56 arewithdrawn from the burner. The igniting conductor 88 is adapted to beassociated with the circuit" of the heating element 82 so as to beenergized concurrently therewith. In Fig. 6, it is shown as being inseries with the heating element so that when the switch 101 is closed,the circuit from the source of ower 102 through the igniting conductoris completed. Obviously, the igniting conducinvention, means vided withan aperture throu tor can be connected in multiple with the heatingelement, if desired. The igniting conductor is adapted to operate at atemperature sufiiciently high to ignite the combustible mixture in thechamber 68 as soon as the heating element 82 has generated sufiicientvapors to form a combustible mixture. After the combustion hasprogressed for a sufiicient period of time for the heat thereof tomaintain the work-of vaporization, the heating element and ignitingconductor can be tie-energized. With this arrangement, the

ignition of the combustible mixture is performed automatically andwithout any separate operation and also without, the necessity forspecial circuits and apparatus and thereby greatly facilitates the useof the burner.

Certain features of construction herein shown are described and claimedin my coelement dis osed nding application Serial No. 457,855,'filed Iclaim:

- 1.'A liquid fuel burner having a vaporizing channel that has anopening at the top, spaced combustion tubes surrounding and upstandinabove said opening, an electric heating e ement .located in a positionto heat and vaporize the liquid fuel in said channel, and a resistanceconductor disposed within the bottom of the space between said tubes andimmediately above the open top of said channel in position to ignite thefuel vapors at the time they issue from said open top said heatingelement and resistance conductor being connected together for concurrentenergization.

2. A liquid fuel burner comprising a base having a va orizing channelthat has an opening at t e top, combustion tubes surrounding andupstanding above said 0 ening a cap which rests removably on said aseand constitutes a support for one of said tubes, an electric heatingelement located in position to heat and vaporize the liquid fuel in saidchannel, and an electric resistance conductor in the circuit of saidheat ing element and adapted to be heated by the current passingtherethrough and disposed in position to ignite the fuel va or, saidresistance conductor being earned by and being removable with said capand aving terminals, and a terminal connector carried by said base andwith which said terminals removably en ge.

' 3. A liquid fuel ing'channel that has an opening at the top,combustion tubes surroun ing and upstanding above said opening, anelectric eating in osition to heat and vaporize the uel in said channel,and an 'elec* tric resistance conductor in series with said resistanceelement and adapted to be highly heated by the current passlngthrough'said element and located immediately above said channel in thespace between said combustion tubes and in osition to ignite the vaporas they issue rom said topopening, said resistance conductor havin aconcensource of heat.

burner having a vaporiz-' 4. A liquid fuel-burner having a base providedwith an air passage and an annular open-top va orizing channel thereinwhich encloses sai air (passage, spaced combustion tubes surroun ing theopen top of said channel and providing a combustion chamber betweenthem, a removable ca overlying said base and a portion of sai channeland constituting a carrier for one of said tubes, an electric resistanceconductor carried b said removable cap and extended throng one of saidtubes into said-combustion chamber and also beingi-idowm 'wardlyextended into said air passage,and ii30 grovided with terminals whichare carried y said cap, and an electric heating element carried by saidbase in position-to heat and vaporize the fuel in said channel and hav-5 in fixed terminals which are carried by said base and are detachablyengaged by said resistance conductor terminals.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

WILLIAM EDWARD TAFT.

